Taylor Park with D4/D3 widely exposed

Taylor Park with D4/D3 widely exposed

Taylor Park with D4/D3 widely exposed

Approaching Park Cone CODOS Site

Mount Crested Butte with D4/D3 extensively exposed

Heavy, clean snowcover blanketed Taylor Reservoir, Taylor Park, and the distant Collegiate and Sawatch Ranges on March 28, 2014 as dust layer D3-WY2014 lay buried well below the surface.

Heavy, clean snowcover blanketed Taylor Reservoir, Taylor Park, and the distant Collegiate and Sawatch Ranges on March 28, 2014 as dust layer D3-WY2014 lay buried well below the surface.

Dust layer D3-WY2014 is clearly visible in a band 8-10” below the snow surface, above a melt-freeze crust (formed earlier, without D3 present).  Dust layer D4 (March 30) fell onto the clean snow surface seen in this profile, dramatically reducing snow albedo.

Compression of the overlying cleaner snow clearly revealed dust layer D6/D5 in ski tracks on the approach to the Park Cone CODOS site.

Taylor Reservoir near the Park Cone CODOS site (photo 1 of 3)

Taylor Reservoir with Sawatch & Collegiate ranges in background (photo 2 of 3)

Taylor Reservoir with Sawatch & Collegiate ranges in background (photo 3 of 3)

Significant D8 dust (at least) was easily seen on the west aspect of the Sawatch Range above Taylor Reservoir.  Similar conditions were seen in upper Ohio Creek while driving to Taylor Park.

Taylor Reservoir with Sawatch & Collegiate ranges in background

Taylor Reservoir with Sawatch & Collegiate ranges in background

The Park Cone Snotel site with 54” of snow containing 13.4” of SWE, and still gaining SWE.  This photo, looking east, shows the adjoining forest cover shading the site from the east, south, and west, blocking direct solar access to the snow surface over the snow pillow and reducing the influence of dust on snowmelt rates at this Snotel site.

Dust layer D2 was barely discernible in the pit’s face and end wall, intersecting the pit corner just a few inches above the red tape on the ruler.  This snowpack 
retained some cold content, at a mean temperature of -2.2° C. Dust event D4 was approaching as we departed the site and drove down the Taylor River canyon.

Park Cone snowpit showing the D6 dust layer just below cleaner new snow at the surface.  The Park Cone Snotel site is less than 50 yards away, in the forest seen in the background. This snow profile was isothermal, with snow temperatures at 0.0° C throughout.

An “all layers merged” sample was collected, in scattered trees below the CODOS site on April 30, 2013 to capture the D8 event merged with D6.  The CODOS snow profile site itself had large patches of open ground on this date.

Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District general manager Frank Kugel at the Park Cone CODOS snowpit site.  This snowpit was isothermal and rapidly approaching “snow all gone” (SAG), with free water throughout the snowpack and with merged dust layers corresponding to WY 2012 events D4-D8 at the surface producing minor reductions in snow albedo.

Park Cone snow pit.

Park Cone completed snow pit

Fillled-in April pit and exposed March pit site at Park Cone CODOS site.